Lisa Wourms knew the competition would be tough at the Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens. So the Camas woman didn’t approach the Aug. 16 race with grand expectations.
She certainly didn’t expect to qualify for the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championships, which will be held next August in Austria.
By cutting 10 minutes off her previous best time at the half-Ironman distance — a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run — Wourms did just that. She completed the triathlon in 5 hours, 24 minutes and 15 seconds, good for third place among women ages 45-49.
The two women who finished ahead of her declined the World Championships slot, so Wourms took it.
“I didn’t think that was even possible,” she said, noting that a number of accomplished triathletes were entered in the Lake Stevens race.
Also claiming a slot in the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championships was Bob Rakoz of Vancouver. Rakoz, 51, placed 10th in his age division at Lake Stevens. Because eight athletes above him declined the Worlds slot, Rakoz will go to Austria.
Wourms said she wasn’t as prepared as she wanted to be for the race because a cold, injury, and a trip limited her training for a whole month this summer.
The swim took her 36 minutes to complete, a couple of minutes longer than usual. Forty miles into the bike ride she decided she needed to slow down to conserve energy for the half-marathon run ahead. But one of her age-group competitors caught her at that point and Wourms competitive instincts took over.
“Pushing harder there helped me shave some time,” she said.
She finished the 56 mile bike ride in 2:51:51, and was third in her age group as she transitioned to the run. Pushed by the knowledge she was being chased by others her age, Wourms finished the half marathon in 1:52:37 and held onto third place.
Overall, Wourms was the 27th female to finish, and 283rd among both genders.
Rakoz completed the Lake Stevens 70.3 in 5:12:48. He said he only entered Lake Stevens because he was talked into it by friends. Three weeks earlier, he placed 19th in his age division at Ironman Canada, a full-length Ironman triathlon in Whistler, British Columbia. He completed Ironman Canada in 11 hours, 37 minutes and 43 seconds. In June, he complete the Boise Ironman 70.3 in 5:17:06.
Rakoz raced at the 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas. He said the trip to Austria will be fun, but he does not expect to be competitive.
